Machine for polishing cutlery.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

W. T. QUEEN. I MACHINE FOR POLISHING OUTLERY.

1 APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

no MODEL Five/2501' #3 LI nik'vmwqm n UQQMW/ZM -'No. 726,100. PATENTED APB..21 1., 1993, W. T. QUEEN. MACHINE FOR POLISHING GUTLERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16; 1903. no MODEL; 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED "Starts;

P T T OFFICE.

WILLIAM THOMAS QUEEN, OF ANACOSTI'A, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

ASSIGNORTO SAMUEL MARSHALL MARKS, OF ,ANACOSTIA, DIS- TRICT O F COLUMBIA.

MACHINE FOR POLlSHlNQC-UTLERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,100, dated April 21, 1903.

Application filed February-16, 1903. Serial'll'o.143,568. (No model.) v

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I,; WILLIAM THOMAS QUEEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing-atAnacostia, District'of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Polishing Outlery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for polish-1 ing cutlery, more'particularly tableknives, although the machine is adapted for use for any purpose for which it is applicable.-

The invention aims to construct a machine for polishing cutlery, more particularly tableknives, of the class by which the knife is polished between two revolving disks, these latter being so constructed and coveredby a suitable fabric that the polishing powder carried by one of the disks will be efficiently fed to and distributed to the polishing-surfaces of the two disks, so that in connection with the fabric the knives or other objects will be thoroughly polished.

The invention further aims to construct a machine for polishing cutlery, more particularly table-knives, which shall be extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable,

efficient in its use and operation, and comparatively inexpensive to set up.

To this end the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described, illus trated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail,- reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, and inwhich Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the machine, showing two knives in position for polishing. Fig.2 is a frontv-iew thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the machine through the polishing-disks. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the outer of the sections forming the feeding and polishing disk. Fig.

5 is a front elevation of the'inner of the secjoint 8. receive the surplus polishing-powder thrown -off duringthe operation of polishing the cuttions forming the feeding and polishing disk, and Fig. 6 is a like view of the other polishing-disk.

- Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the polishing-disks, to be hereinafter referred, to are suspended and operate within a suitable casing or housing formed of an upper and a lower section. The lower section consists of a front and a rear standard 1 2, respectively, a pair'of side walls 3 4,

substantially segmental in contour, and a bottom 5, substantially concave in contour and provided with a discharge-opening 6, communicating with a tray or drawer 7, removably connected to the bottom 5 by the The tray or drawer 7 is adapted to lery and is provided with a knob 9, so it-can be removed and emptied of its contents when desired. Preferably the polishingpowder which has accumulated in the tray or drawer 7 is charged or supplied to the feed-disk, to be hereinafter referred to. The front standard 1 is provided with a plurality of knife-receivingopenings substantially in the form of keyhole-slots, and, as shown, a pair of openings is provided, 'as'indicated by the reference character l0,and through which extend the knives 11 to'be polished. The openings or slots 10 are so constructed that when the knives are inserted they will extend downwardly at an inclination. One part, or rather the upper portion, of the slots or openings 10 is so constructed as to support the shank of the knife, while the lower portion is in the form of a slit to permit of the passage of the knife-blade. To

prevent the knives from slipping upwardly and the wearing 0E of theinner face of"the standard 1 at the slots 10, the standard 1 has secured to its inner face'ga't-or near the slots 10, the keepers 12, which may be of any suitable material, preferably metal. The upper section of the housingor casing is formed of a segmental-shaped top wall.13 and a pair of sidewalls-1 1C 15, also substantiallysegmental in contour. The top wall 13 is adapted to rest upon or be secured to the top edge of the standards 1 2, and the side walls 14: 15

are adapted to rest upon and be removably secured to the side walls 3 4 of the lower section. In the bottom of the side walls 14 15, approximately centrally thereof, are provided semicylindrical cut-away portions, and also in the top of the side walls 3 4, the cut-away portions of the walls 3 14 registering with each other as well as the cut-away portions of the walls 4 15. By this construction a pair of cylindrical openings are provided in which are mounted a pair of journal-boxes 17 for the operating-shaft 18. Other forms of casings or housings may be employed for the polishing-disks than that as shown; but the construction as set forth is the preferred one. The casing or housing may be provided with any suitable means for clamping or fixing it stationary, if desired. As this clamping or fixing means can be of any ordinary construction, it is thoughtunnecessary to illustrate it. The operatingshaft 18 extends entirely through the casing or housing and carries on one end a nut or other device 19 to prevent the shaft from slipping through and on its other end is provided with a crank 20 and handle 21 to operate the shaft. Instead of operating the shaft through the medium of the crank 20 and handle 21 other means can be employed-for example, a suitable motor connected to the shaft 18 in any well-known manner. The shaft 18 carries a coiled compression-spring 22, hearing at one end against a nut or sleeve-23 upon the shaft 18 and its other end against one of the polishing-disks, to be hereinafter described. The shaft 18 is further provided with a groove 24, the function of which, as well as the function of the spring 22, will he hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the shaft 18 in a manner hereinafter described are the two polishingdisks, between which the knife-blade or other object is inserted to be polished. One of these disks is termed the feeding-disk for the polishing material, and will be hereinafter referred to as a feeding and polishing disk, while the other disk will be termed a polishing-disk. The latter consists of a concentric piece of suitable material 25, preferably wood, although it may be constructed of any other material, if desired. The inner face of the disk 25 is flat and provided with a concentrically-arranged series of radiallyextending grooves 26. These latter start at their inner ends at a point adjacent to the center of the disk and terminate at a point adjacent to the edge thereof. The grooves 26 are spaced an equidistance apart. The disk 25 is further provided with a centrallyarranged opening to permit of the mounting thereof upon the shaft 18, and on the outer face of the disk, surrounding the centrallyarranged opening, is a boss 27, through which extends a set-screw 28, which is adapted to impinge against the shaft 18 for fixing the disk 25 thereon, so it will revolve with the shaft. The disk 25 has its flat inner face completely covered with a piece of fabric 29for of polishing material.

example, carpet, although any loosely-woven fabric of a stiff nature would be satisfactory. This fabric 29 forms the polishing-surface of the disk. The fabric 29 is fixed to the disk 25 in any suitable manner and, as shown, has the end thereof drawn over the periphery of the disk 25 around a head 33 on the outer face thereof and secured in any known manner to the underneath face of the head. In fact, any other suitable manner of fastening the fabric 29 to the disk 25 than that as shown can be employed. The inner corner of the disk 25 Y is slightly rounded off, as shown, for a purpose as hereinafter set forth.

The feeding and polishing disk consists of two sections 31 and 32, which when set up are connected together in any suitable manner. The section 31 is termed the inner section and the section 32 the outer section. The inner section 31 consists of a concentric piece of suitable material, preferably wood, although it may be constructed of any other material, if desired. The inner face of the section 31 is fiat and provided with a concentrically-arranged series of radially-extending grooves 34. These latter start at their inner ends at a point adjacent to the center of the section 31 and terminate at a point adjacent to the edge of the section. Two of the grooves 34 terminate at their inner ends in the feedopenings 35, the function of which will be hereinafter referred to. Only two of the grooves 34 are shown terminating in the feedopenings 35, but additional feed openings can be employed, if desired. The section 31 is further provided with a centrally-arranged opening to permit of the mounting thereof upon the shaft 18 and has its flat inner face completely covered with a piece of fabric 36 for example, carpet, although any looselywoven fabric of'a stiff nature would be satisfactory. The fabric 36 forms the polishingsurface of the feeding and polishing disk. The fabric 36 is fixed to the section 31 in any suitable manner, but, as shown, extends over the periphery of the section 31 and is secured in aperipheral groovein any known manner. Any other suitable manner of fastening the fabric 36 to the section 31 than that as shown may be employed. The inner corner of the section 31 is slightly rounded off, as shown, for a purpose as hereinafter set forth.

The outer section 32 of the feeding and polishing disk is formed of a concentric piece of suitable material, preferably wood, although any other material may be employed, if desired. The inner face of the section 32 is constructed with an annular recess concave in contour, as at 37, which forms a reservoir for the polishing material. The section 32 is also provided with a port or passage 38, which extends from the periphery of the section 32 and terminates in the recess 37. The port or passage 38 is termed a supply-port for replenishing the reservoir with additional charges The outer end of the port or passage 38 is closed by means of a removable stopper or plug 39. The section 32 is further provided with a centrally-arranged.

opening to permit of the mounting thereof upon the shaft 18, and surrounding this centrally-arrangedopening on the outer face of the section 32 is a boss 40, through which passes a set-screw 41, extending in the groove 24 in the shaft 18. As before stated, the sections 31 and 32 are secured together by thetudinally adjustable upon the shaft 18, as

well as rotating therewith. The coiled compression-spring 22 bears against the section 32, so as to force the feeding and polishing disk against the polishing-disk 25, or, in other words, the spring 22 keeps the polishing-surfaces of the disks in contact with each other, and when a knife-blade is inserted between the two disks the spring 22 keeps the polishing-surfaces (the fabric) in close contact with the knife. When the disks are mounted upon the shaft 18, they are arranged in such relation to the entranceslots in the casings for the knives that the blade of the knife will immediately enter between the two disks.

The grooves 26 and 34 are termed polishingtmaterial-holding grooves, and when the two disks are set up in operative positions the grooves 26 are arranged in alternate relation to the grooves 34that is to say, the grooves 26 are not arranged directly opposite the grooves 34, but alternately in respect thereto. This arrangement of the disks, so the grooves will be placed as stated, obtains a more satisfactory result in taking up the polishingmaterial than if the grooves correspond to each other.

When it is desired to polish a knife, the reservoir is filled with polishing material and the knife inserted through the slot in the standard 1 so that the blade will lie between the two disks, the rounding off slightly of the inner corner of the section 31 and disk 25 permitting of the passage of the blade between the disks to the shank of the knife,-at the same time prevents the separation of the disks to such an extent, so that the knifeblade will be at all times in contact with the polishing-surfaces of the disks. The disks are revolved through the medium of the crank and handle, which cause the polishing material to feed through the openings 35 into the grooves 34, and the continual operation of the feeding and polishing disk will cause the polishing material to force its way through the fabric 36 against the knife-blade and assist in polishing it. The material will also be taken up by the fabric 29, and the mate- "rial will force its way through the fabric 29 intothe grooves 26 and be retained in the grooves 26. Such polishing material that iS not taken up by the fabrics 29 and 36 and grooves 26 and 34 will fall to the bottom of,

the casing and through the opening in the bottom thereof to the tray or drawer. The grooves 26, taking up the, polishingmaterial, will also act as a sort of reservoir, and the polishing material from the grooves 26 will be fed through the fabric 29 in the same manner as the material is fed through the fabric 36, or, in other words, after the disks have been operated a certain length of time the disk 25 becomes a self-feeder in the same manner as the feeding and polishing disk.

It is thought the many advantages of a machine for polishing cutlery, more particufrom the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and, furthermore, it will be evident that changes, variations, and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing. any of its advantages, and I therefore do not Wish to restrict myself to the details of construction hereinbefore described and as shown in theaccompanying drawings, but reserve the right to make such changes, variations, and modifications as come properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of polishing-disks, each provided on one face with a series of polishingmaterial-holding grooves, and one of which is provided with a reservoir communicating with a pair of the polishingmaterialholding grooves, and afabric completely covering said 7 grooved face of each disk.

2. A machine for polishing cutlery comprising a casing having a discharge-opening and a pair of entrance-slots for the cutlery to be cleaned, a shaft extending through said casing, a polishing-disk fixed on said shaft and having one face provided with radiallyextending grooves and a strip of fabric completely covering said grooved face, a longitudinally adjustable and rotatable feeding and polishing disk mounted on said shaft and having one face provided with radially-extending grooves and a strip of fabric completely covering said grooved face, said feeding and polishing disk further provided with a polishing-material reservoir communicating with one of its grooves.

3. A machine for polishing cutlery comprising a casing having entrance-slots for the I larly table-knives, can be readily understood of fabric completely covering said grooved face, a longitudinally adjustable and rot-atable feeding and polishing disk mounted on said shaft and having one face provided with radially-extending grooves and a strip of fabric completely covering said grooved face, said feeding and polishing disk further provided with a polishingmaterial reservoir communicating with one of its grooves, the grooves upon said feeding and polishing disk arranged in alternate relation to the grooves upon the said polishing-disk when the disks are in operative position.

4. A machine of the character described comprising a casing having a discharge-opening and a plurality of entrance-slots for the cutlery to be cleaned, a polishing-disk having one face provided With radially-extending WILLIAM THOMAS QUEEN. Witnesses:

N. L. BOGAN, GEO. E. PHILLIPS. 

